cycle time when back plot

[chris28]

Hello all

Can you help?.

Is there a way to work out approx cycle time for machining with MCX. When i backplot all my ops then go to details tab it give me 21.34s. The atual machine time is 1min 20second(approx).

I need this info so i can give more accurate quote.

Much appreciated .

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Mastercam WILL NOT be able to comp for the machine's Acc/Dec. This is where Backplot falls woefully short - admittedly this is extremely difficult to calculate and when I do time studies, I use some pretty complex formulas to get my times right.

 

The short answer, change your rapids and tool change times to get the number closer but you'll be hard presed to get closer than 10%. I've been closer but it was probably luck.

[Ployd]

I usually double my time and it ends up being pretty close to actual.

 

We typically quote based on surface area of part and complexity of the shape.

 

HTH

[chris28]

Thanks for you help.

[Cjones]

My shop does only in house production for our manufacturing. However, we are considering doing work for others in our industry and this seems like a good opportunity to ask about software to help quote parts. Any suggestions?

Or-How do others quote parts, have you all created your own formulas depending on specific conditions?

TY,

Chris

[g-codeguy]

"I usually double my time and it ends up being pretty close to actual."

 

Hummm. I never have used the backplot to figure cycle times. I did ask the other lathe programmer one time as he only uses MasterCam to program with. (I normally manually program.) His reply was that he had found it to be close. How close, I don't know.

 

Now you've got me wondering how close it actually is. I sometimes get asked to estimate cycle times. Usually I get lucky and am close, but luck is all it is. It would be nice to know there was another way other than a wild stab.

 

Thanks Chris for the question.

[strabe]

I haven't had any problems with cycle time accuracy. Have you set your machine parameters in your machine definition manager?

 

I run a Hurco BMC 3016 (1996) and my actual cycle time is within seconds of what backplot tells me it will be.